Circulation shut-off device



March 19, 1929. w. N. RIEGER L 1,706,072

' CIRCULATION SHUT-CFF DEVICE Filed Oct. 6, 1926 Inventor inafter, allof which contribute to produce Patented Mer.. 1.9,

imam PATENT orifice.

'WALTER N. BIGER, 0F TAFT, CALIFORNIA.

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Application IedIOctober 6, 1926. Serial No. 139,933.

This invention relates` torotary drill stems for drilling deep wells. Y

In 'this method of drilling, circulating water is passed down the drilllstem and supplied to the drill bit at the lower end of the drill stem;It frequently happens that a drill bit will be kept in use although itis badly worn and requires to be redressed and resharpened; and drillershave a tendency. to force the cutting of a dull bit by increasing theweight on the bit. On account of using dull or worn bits, and forcing.them in this way, they frequently become stuck in the hole and occasionthetwisting off of the drill stem, with incidental Aloss of time andmoney in raising the drill stem and repairing the break. v

The general object of this invention is to provide a Adrill stem havinga constructlon such that the weight upon the drill stem is limited butis sufficient to enable the drill bit to cut properly if it is in goodcutting condition; also the provide a'construction which will preventthe weight upon the drill bit from being increased beyond thispredetermined limit without automatically shutting oit the circulatingwater which isv essential to the drilling operation. ln other words, lprovide a construction for this apparat-us which will automatically shutofi' the flow of circulating water if too much weight is placed upon thedrill stem. y

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists of the novel parts and combination of parts to bedescribed herean eiiicient circulation shutoff device.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the followingspecification,v

while the broad scope ofthe invention is pointed out in the appendedclaims.

ln the drawing: Figure 1 is a vertical section supposed to be taken atthe bottom of a well and showing a portion ofthe casing in section andthe drill stem .embodying my improvement i'n side elevation, certainparts being brokenvaway.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2 2 of Figure l upon anenlarged scale and particularly illustrating my improvement. Y

Figure 3 is a cross-section taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2 upon anenlarged scale. Figure 4 is a section taken through the lower part of mycirculation shuton'a and' showing the parts in the relation which theyhave when the dev-ice is operating to shut off the flow of thecirculating water.

Figure 5vis a cross-section through one of my shutoff devices ata pointcorresponding to the line 3 3 but showing a modified embodiment of theconstruction for enabling the upper section of the-drill stem to impartmovement to the lower section.

Referring to the parts, l represents a casing at the lower end of whicha drill bit 2 is operating, the same being attached to the lower;section 3'of a drill stem. My shutoff device 4 is attached to the upperend of this lower section 3 and connects it tothe lower Aend of theupper section 5 of the drill stem.

My shutoff device comprises an'upper member which is connected to theupper section of the drill stem and a lower member connected to thelower section of the drill stem. These members are connected togetherKfor sliding movem nt and have means to enable the upper member torotate the lower member to impart rotary movement to the drill at thelower end of the drill stem; these members vhave water circulation ductsfor conducting the circulating water down the drill stem and one of themembers has a port through'which this water flows. The other of saidmembers is provided with means for closing this port to shut off theflow of the circulating water if the upper member of the upper sectionof the drill stem is supported on the lower. member. 'In order toaccomplish this, I'provide the lower end of the upper section 5 of thedrill stem with a reducing coupling 6, to the lower end -of which a sub-'eoupling 7 is attached. To the lower end ofthis sub-coupling 7' atubular plunger S is attached, having a bore 9 through it whichcommunicates with the Aducts or bores of the couplings 6 and 7 so as toconduct circulating water down the drill stem. This plunger 8 slidesfreely through' the upper end of a barrel l0 and within the barrel theplunger has a piston head 11 which is provided with packing rings l2 fora purpose which will appear hereinafter. At the upper end of the barrelis a long integral head 13 and the lower end of the barrel is closed bya head 14 which is in the form of a coupling screwed into the lower endof the barrel, the said coupling having a bore or port 15 through itwith an enlarged counterbore or mouth 16 at its upper end. Thiscounterbore terminates in a conical seat 17. rihe lower end of llO thehead or coupling 14connects to the lower section 3 of the drill stem.The plunger 8 and the head 13 have a correlated an 'ular' constructionto enable the rotation o the `plunger 8 to be imparted` to the barrel10.

For example, the plunger 8 'may be of the general form illustrated inFigure 3 having two diametrically opposite cylindrical faces 18 and flatside faces 19 which t against corresponding faces in the head 13. How-Vhead 14, the flow o-fcirculating water will bel shut oit. In order toaccomplish this, I provide the lower end of the piston head with adownwardly projecting plug or nose 24, the lower endvot which is taperedso as to present a conical face 25. This plug is provided with across-port 26 which communicates with the bore 9 of the plunger andemerges at both sides of the cylindrical face of the plug 24. The plug24 is of suilicient diameter to iit neatly in the cylindricalcounterbore 16 of the head 14, and the conical face 25 is constructed tolit upon the seat 17.- With this relation of the parts, it will beevident that when the drill stem is in operation and the piston head 11is held elevated above the head14, the circulating water will pass downthrough the bore 9 into the chamber in the lower end of the barrel, andthence down-v,

wardly through the port 15 in the direction of thedrill bit 2.

At this time, the weight upon the drill bit will be the weight ofthelower section 3 of the drill stem. This weight can be any amount desiredand can be regulated by changing the length of the lower section of thedrill stem. However, ifl the driller should attempt to increase byletting the upper section of` the drill stem down'onto the lowersection, the plug'27 will 'extend down into the counter-bore 16, therebyshutting otf the flow of the circulating water and rendering itimpossible to continue the operation of the-drill. Of course, as soon asthe driller inds that the circulating water has been shut 0H', he willrealize that the drill Stein should be drawn and a sharpened bit 2substituted for the drill bit.

In this way, my device operates to prevent the weight on the bit 2- ingplaced upon the drill bit and if a driller attempts to increase theweight on the drill bit, the circulating water is automatically closedoli'. The packing rings 12 prevent the circulating water from flowing upthe barrel past the piston-head.

The ports 26 are preferably inclined downwardly. This reduces theresistance and directs the water i-n `the desired direction. These portsshould be made as large as possible. y

Itv is obvious that his circulation cut-oil will operate in an invertedposition -as well as in the position in which I have illustrated it.llVhat I claim is:

1. In a circulation shut-off device for drill stems, the combination ofa drill stem having an upper'section and a lower section, a plungerconnected to one of said sections, a barrel connected to the other ofsaid scctions and having a head which may engage with the .plunger whenthe upper section of the drill stem is resting upon the lower section,said plunger having a plug on its end -with a port emerging on the sideof the plug, and said head having ports therethrough for passing thecirculating water down the drill stein, said head having means forcovering the side of the plug to close the port through said plungerwhen the upper section of the drill stein is resting on the lowersection.

2. In a circulation shut-0E device for drill stems, the combination of aplunger having means for connecting' the same to the upper section ofthe drill stem, a barrel receiving the plunger and having means forconnecting the same to the lower section of the drill stem, said barrelhaving a head at its lower end with' a port having a seat with anenlargedmouth at its` upper end, said plunger having a piston ead withmeans for packing the saine to prevent circulation' water from movingupwardly past the piston head and having a plug tapered at its lower endto come upon said seat, said plunger having a duct extendinglongitudinally therewith emerging on the side face of the plug forconmore than a predetermined. weight from bep ducting the circulatingwaterfdown through the drill stem the sidewall of said enlarged mouthoperating toclose said duct when Vthe plug is received in the 1nouthsaidplunger and said barrel having a correlated angular constructionenabling the plunger to rotate the barrel yand impart rotary movement tothe drill stem. f 1

Signed at Taft, California, this'23d day of September, 1926.

WALTERl N. RIEGER.

